Undertaken
by ageofthedumort
Summary: When Frisk fell down, they lost themselves; Chara took over so quickly. Days later, when Chara was standing outside the Judgment Hall on the current timeline, another human fell. With memory gaps and an ability even Chara hadn't seen before, can this new human change what seems to be fated?
1. Chapter 1

**So, now to post the beginnings of the actual story. I don't usually do ANs, so this will hopefully be the only one for a few chapters. The prologue was to see if the story idea would be well accepted, and, hey! It was! So, here is the official chapter one. Everyone, meet Theresa…**

 **This story is T for a reason; there will be eventual talk of self harm and suicide. Not in depth, but it will be mentioned.**

The girl lay collapsed for who knows how long before she blearily blinked open her eyes to take in her surroundings. Her head was pounding, as if she had downed some of her father's collection of alcohol, and her memories were fuzzy. All that was clear was that she wasn't waking up in her bed; technically, it was a bed of some sort, but only a bed of flowers, and not the kind she had seen before. They were oddly bright, matching the thread that wove around her skirt, with large petals and fairly short stems, though they were clearly sturdy. She had been collapsed completely on them, and they still remained undamaged.

As her pitch eyes focused on her surroundings, she noticed a far away, bright light. Was she… Dead? No, it didn't seem like it. She was still in one of her usual outfits, with their baggy and loose fabric, though her shoes seemed to have disappeared for some reason; wherever she was smelled of dirt and musk, and seemed to lack a large light source except for the faraway hole. Where _was_ she?

Shakily, the girl sat forward, wincing as her head throbbed. As the walls around her swam in and out of focus, she made out that she was in a cave. _Well, that explains the smell_ , she thought, crinkling her nose. The walls around her were high and steep, definitely not climbable, and the light source that she could only assume was the outside was so far away… How was she still alive? She had fallen, and _that_ far?

She cleared her throat, wincing as she felt her voice was hoarse, and tentatively called out. "Mom..?" she whispered, not wanting to break the silence of the cave. "Ana…? Caro…?" Her voice was back to normal, and she called out a little louder. "Is _anyone_ there?"

The girl tentatively stood to her feet, stepping gently out of the bed of bright flowers, frowning as the pebbles dug into the soles of her feet. She'd have to fix that later. Right now, she was just going to try and find a less steep path so she could climb back up. Her mother was probably furious, or out of her mind with worry. Or both. The girl wasn't sure how long she'd been down there, but she was pretty sure people would already be out looking for her. Someone like her couldn't just 'disappear'; it didn't work that way, trust her, she'd tried.

"Maybe… I'm dreaming…?" she murmured, stepping closer to the side of the room she was in and placing a hand on the wall. The cave was formed oddly, with rock unlike any she'd seen before in her books, or on hikes, and was jagged under her touch; it also lacked any noticeable stalagmites or stalactites. When she got out of here, if 'here' turned out to really be a place, she'd have to bring Ana down, the girl was a huge science nerd, and had tons of journals filled with flimsy sketches, notes, and doodles pertaining to anything she found interesting.

Her eyes were adjusting to the slight darkness of the cave, and she noticed a hallway of some sort branching off. Okay, what cave has hallways..? Ana made it pretty clear that science was hardly ever this precise.

Frowning, she brushed her dark hair out of her face, tying it into a knot at the base of her head as she continued to inspect the room. No way this wasn't manmade. Or, maybe it was just made by her head. She was known to get fairly creative and colorful when drunk, much to the displeasure of her mother but amusement of her close friends.

Hair now mostly secured and head clearer than before, she leaned back against the cavern wall, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. The sleeves of her golden yellow shirt stopped at her elbows, and even then the material was flimsy, and she was quickly becoming chilled in the sunless area. She would have stepped back into the spotlight that allowed the flowers to bloom, but she already felt guilty about nearly crushing them before. Her eyes scanned the room for what felt like the billionth time, and she took in a shaky breath.

 _Okay, just stay calm_ , she told herself. She wanted to hold onto the hope that she was dreaming, but no dream was this detailed, she knew deep down. _Maybe… I don't know. There has to be a way out… Right?_

The depth of her situation was beginning to sink in. She was used to knowing exactly what she was getting into in life, this… This was not good. It wasn't normal. And she still had zero memories about where exactly she was. Her face fell as she continued to realize just how bad her situation was. The last thing she remembered was deciding to go on a walk, like usual. Oh no. Oh, God. What if she had been kidnapped. What if she had fallen, and there was no way out. What if she actually was dead. She almost didn't realize her breathing was increasing so much, but when she did, she closed her eyes and began to count as high as she could, like the local doctor had taught her. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in…

A few minutes later, she was calm enough to move away from the wall and dare to venture down into the hallway. She cautiously moved forward, one hand constantly on the wall, until she was a few large steps away from the flower room; her eyes widened as she saw an intricately carved archway. There was no way this was a regular cave. No way. Her mouth opened slightly in protest, but she quickly shut it. If nature hadn't made this cave… Then who had…?

She swallowed the lump that had appeared in her throat, keeping her anxiety levels as low as she could, and shakily moved forward. Oh, God. What had she gotten herself into..? She lifted a hand, placing it on the edge of the doorway, her dark tan skin standing out against the grey stone. She tentatively placed one foot in the doorway, using all of her mental strength to keep herself going forward instead of running back. As she peered into the next room, to her surprise, there was another spot of sunlight, and a single flower, identical to those in the previous room. A flower she could handle.

Slightly more confident after seeing there were no real threats in the room, the girl moved forward, tilting her head and inspecting the room. It was very similar to the room she had woken up in, but the walls were further back, and the flower seemed to be the main focus of the room. Seeing as there was nothing else very important to inspect, she moved closer to the flower, crouching down in front of it. She gave herself some credit for not screaming when it looked up, a nasty smile on its face. She did, however, fall backwards, quickly scrambling away ungracefully, pausing once she was a safe distance away, hair now in disarray and hands scraped from the rough floor.

"W…W…" her eyes were still wider than they've ever been, and she could've sworn her heart had stopped beating.

The flower began laughing, but emptily. "And who would you be?" It didn't bother to hide the resentment in its voice. "Another human, here to destroy this world? Well, golly, friend, you're a little too late for that." It laughed again, bitterly, a grin on its face.

She sat there, gaping at it, arms shaking and now weak. "What are you..?" she whispered, appalled.

The flower raised an eyebrow, seemingly bored and doubting. "You really are new here, aren't ya?" It sounded tired, defeated, almost. Almost as an afterthought, it murmured, "I could've sworn I've seen you before, but…" It spoke at a normal level again, "Are you for real? You don't know where you are?"

Stupefied, the girl slowly shook her head. The flower hmph'ed, before sighing. It looked down, defeated, before laughing again, grimly. "You know, usually I'd have at least tried to kill you by now. What's the point, though..?"

The girl hadn't moved from where she had stopped crawling, instead she was strangely hanging onto every word this… 'flower', said.

She swallowed, trying to muster up her voice. "I… Am I dreaming…?" she quietly asked, but the flower lifted its head slightly, indicating it heard her.

It didn't mock her, or laugh, or anything. It just looked at her, blank eyes, "If only. If you were dreaming, then there'd be some form of hope. But…" It shook its head, smiling slightly, "You're awake."

Finding her voice, though her mind was slightly numbed at this point, the girl leaned forward, moving her hands from where they had pushed against the ground. "…Are you sure…? I mean… I, I am talking to a… Flower…" she spoke, eyes still raking over the golden flower that had now completely captured her attention.

The flower's bitter laugh was back. "You've really never been here, have you?"

"What… What do you mean by that?" She couldn't keep herself from sounding appalled, yet interested. Where was she? And in what world was a talking flower… Normal?

The flower now held a touch of real amusement in its eyes. "If you'd ever been here before, you'd know that a talking flower isn't exactly the strangest thing you'd see here. In fact, if you had come before all of this," the flower tilted its head back, gesturing to the exit behind it, " _You_ would be the anomaly here. Also, just a fair warning, I'm definitely not the most dangerous thing you'll see here now."

She couldn't control her mouth; her filter on her words was completely gone at this point. "You're dangerous?" she blurted out, and internally cringed at her own words.

The amusement in the flower's laugh was still grim, but generally entertained now. "You have no idea."

The flower paused for a moment, before its grin was back, but its eyes were sad. "It'd almost be a mercy to kill you now, before they get the chance…" It paused, voice hitching. Was that… A sob? It looked the girl in the eyes. "My name is Flowey; Flowey the flower. Or Asriel Dreemur. It doesn't matter what you call me at this point. And," it took a shuddering breath, "I'll try to make this quick. It's for your own sake, I… I promise."

The numbness in the girl's head was back, was it wasn't a foggy numbness. She knew exactly what the flower was implying. She rose to her feet, brushing the gravel out of her palms. "Hello, Flowey. My name is Theresa, Theresa Santiago-Montez. And," she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face, "I can't let you do that."


	2. Chapter 2

_"_ _Hello, Flowey. My name is Theresa, Theresa Santiago-Montez. And," she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face, "I can't let you do that."_

The flower, no, Flowey, winced. "It's… easier, this way. You shouldn't have to meet them personally. They'd make what remains of your life a literal hell." They looked up, eyes sad but determined. Theresa wasn't exactly sure what happened, but in front of her now floated a heart which was a dazzling pearly white color, catching the remnants of other colors and shifting. At the moment, it had a light purple sheen to it.

Flowey's eyebrows raised a little at this. "That's… New," they seemed mystified for a second, but the pain on their face quickly returned as they brought themselves back to reality. "But, I still need to do this. It's one of the few things I can still do right in this world, I know it. Please, just trust me. Make this easier on yourself." Suddenly, a few stark white pill-like objects were there, revolving around the flower, who wouldn't meet her eyes now.

"You're weak… It should only take one hit…" they said, but it was more to themselves than Theresa.

Theresa stepped back slightly, and noticed the heart stayed in the same position as it had originally appeared, just over her wrist on her left forearm. That was where… She didn't have time to ponder that significance before she let out a startled yip and jumped aside, as the five white marks had been flung at her; she doubted they were friendly. The flower looked even sadder, but still determined as ever. She could've sworn that for a moment the image of the flower flickered to something else, something with sad eyes, but it was gone before she could focus on it.

"Please…" the flower said quietly, looking distraught, "You don't know Chara; you don't want to. They might kill you, eventually, but they'll torture you first. Please, listen to me. This is better."

The girl's eyes were wide with disbelief, but the problem at hand was more important than whoever this "Chara" character was. "Flowey… Or, Asriel, that's your name, too, right? Please, I don't… I don't want to…" But she couldn't think of anything meaningful to say; her mind was drawing a blank, the only thing she could process was that she definitely did _not_ want to die. She had finally reached a point in her life where she decided she wanted to keep what she had, not throw it away, and she wasn't ready to give up on that yet.

"I know you can't understand why I'm doing this…" the flower looked at her with empty eyes, "But that's better than dealing with Chara enough _to_ understand. They… I'm one of the last ones here. There's one who's been holding them back for a while, now, but I don't know how much longer even he can last. Chara only gets more determined as they're defeated. Once they get past him… I need to try something. But I know, no matter what I do… I won't make it. They've gone too far to be stopped now."

The flower looked up, smiling faintly at the clear confusion in the human's eyes. "You don't understand any of this, do you? I could rant all day, trying to explain… It's not worth it. Who knows when the next reset will come, anyways? You might not remember any of this…"

Now there were ten pellets floating around the flower, and they were each flung at her repetitively, making her scurry and duck side to side, sheltering the heart that rested against her forearm, beating in time with the one in her body.

She sucked in breath heavily, wincing as her bare feet dug into the ground even more, preparing to move quickly. "What's," she gasped for air, eyes darting to the flower and around them quickly, "What's a… Reset? And why hasn't anyone killed whoever this is yet?"

Flowey laughed bitterly, showing their lack of hope. "You can't kill Chara. Or, you can... That skeleton has proved that repeatedly. But they don't stay dead. It's too much to explain it all you. You won't need to know about them; it would never apply to you. I'll make sure of it."

The flower looked at her blankly, tilting its head. "You're fairly good at stalling, aren't you?" It seemed to ponder this for a moment, "I'm not the bad guy here, Theresa. Not anymore. It was nice knowing you, I guess. I'm… I really am sorry you came down here."

One by one, too quick to watch, pellets surrounded her completely in a ring. The flower didn't have the grace to look her in the eyes as they sent all of the pellets rushing towards her. They all struck her at once, colliding with her chest, back, and arms. The heart on her forearm was hardly struck itself, but as the pellets dug into her skin and cut across her face, the heart weakened. She could just… Feel it. Pellet after pellet cut into her skin. Blood. Pain. She was lightheaded. She vaguely felt herself falling forward onto her knees, hands planning to catch her, but her elbows gave out from under her weight and she landed on the rough ground. She faintly saw the heart on her forearm pulsating fainter and fainter with every beat.

 _No… I'm not… Not ready… I'm not ready to die… Not after… No… I… Deserve to… Live…_

 _. . ._

With a sharp intake of breath, Theresa woke up, hands clutching at the ground beneath her. What _happened_? She recognized she was facedown, head tilted to the side. Her head felt like it was packed with cotton balls, and she felt groggy. Soft dirt and gravel alike pressed against her cheek, and her hair was nearly all out of her loose bun, instead covering her face. She breathed out slowly, making some of the hair flutter. Weak, she used her forearms to push herself off of the ground. She noticed the heart wasn't there. Wait. The heart.

Suddenly, the girl was completely awake, hurriedly pushing herself to her knees, looking down at her forearm. Doing so made her gracelessly fall to the side, landing with a thump. But, it was gone. The heart, with its shell colored surface and pulse alike to her own, was gone. In its place was what had been there since a few years back, but the heart itself had completed disappeared. Had… Had that been real? The attack she had been dealt? The talking flower? Slowly, Theresa shook her head. Of course it wasn't re-

"What _are_ you?" a familiar voice whispered. The human regretfully turned her head to the right, the side she had been ignoring in her frantic search for the heart on her arm, meeting a face that she had seen less than a minute ago. The flower had an appalled look on its face, but curiosity shined in its eyes. Maybe it even looked slightly hopeful. She couldn't really tell; she was more focused on wondering what had happened, and possibly what drug she was on.

She weakly smiled. The fog in her head was persistent so far, and she felt a little loopy, still interested in her forearm. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question..?" she smiled slightly, but the fear in her eyes must've been clear, because a definite look of solemn determination came across the flower's face.

It took a shuddering breath. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

. . .

Meanwhile, further into the world, in a hall with beautifully decorated tile and windows, a skeleton leaned against a column, smiling, eyes blank. He heard a faint flash and closed his eyes, tempted to laugh. The kid was back again. He couldn't refer to them as human at this point; it was clear they were far from it. There was a pause, a moment of complete silence, before footsteps rang out against the tile. He wordlessly moved from his position against the pillar, turning to face the child who hardly earned the name; Chara, or Frisk. He wasn't sure which was which any more, honestly.

He didn't grace them with any words, he just smiled at them. The kid looked pissed, knife stable in their grip. The tip of the blade of barely visible from under the end of their long sleeve, but it was noticeably coated with dust. On their face, they were wearing a smile that rivaled his own, and their eyes… He could've sworn they glowed red.

He raised his hand, ready to begin the attack. He had the memories from before; death, after death, after death of the kid, but he hadn't died once yet. He knew he was wearing Chara's patience thin, and the thought made him laugh even more. There was nothing else he could do at this point. Just keep stalling the kid. Maybe eventually they'd get bored and reset..? Yeah, he didn't believe it either. He'd seen firsthand what kind of sick, messed up mindset this kid had. There was no way they would give up, despite what his brother had hoped… No, despite what his brother had believed with all of his heart. And the kid had killed him anyway. They had killed everyone.

Chara smiled even wider, looking at him through their long hair, their grip on their knife tightening as they prepared to move and jump to avoid his attacks.

"It's a beautiful day outside… But, ya know what, kid? I'm fairly confident you get the idea by now," he winked. The onslaught began.

Minutes later, Sans's attacks were running out. Chara was smiling even more, a sick smile twisted with glee. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He knew the kid was learning his attacks, memorizing what they had to do to beat him, to stay alive, but he found it was getting harder and harder to care. What was there left to care for, anyways?

Chara/Frisk giggled, making the temperature in the room seem to drop twenty degrees. They knew they were winning, and they knew Sans knew it. They were soon laughing hysterically, but their knife remained steady, and they continued to dodge with ease, making a game out of it.

When something akin to an electric shock went through the room, neither of them were expecting it. Chara's eyes widened in curiosity, looking at Sans carefully. That was a new power. But, Sans was looking at the child the same way, though hiding it well behind a smile and blank eyes. They both froze where they were, entering a staring contest, daring the other to own up to what they had both just felt. They stood that way for a few seconds before both froze unwillingly. They didn't notice it at first, but when Chara tried to absentmindedly move their knife, they couldn't, and when they couldn't shift their eyes to see what had happened, panic flooded their veins. This wasn't supposed to happen. Sans felt the same thing, and noticed the child's panic. If he could've moved, he probably would've smiled wider. Something finally caught the damned kid off guard, even if he wasn't sure what it was.

Hardly any time passed before Sans was teleported to where he had been standing right before Chara entered for what felt like the millionth time. The only thing was, he had nothing to do with it. A flash came again, the instant footsteps rushing forward, not as confident as before. Sans stepped out, winking as he did so.

"Well, kid, I have to say, you look startled. Almost like you saw a monster, or somethin'."

Chara couldn't keep their cool; they ran forward, slashing at Sans, making the first move in their battle. He quickly stepped aside, and did so repetitively until the kid stood there, shaky and out of breath.

"What-" _slash_ "-was-" _slash_ "-that?!" the child growled, continuing to attack. Out of faint, grim curiosity, the skeleton let them keep attacking without repercussion, only continuously dodging them. Let them wear themselves out, it'd make it easier to beat them one more time. "What did you _do_?! You-" _slash_ "-can't-" _slash_ "-do-" _slash_ "-that!"

"Make monster related jokes? Uh, yeah I can, kid," he continued.

The small killer raced forward, relentlessly slashing, until Sans finally flicked his wrist up, making the kid hit the ceiling before bones, glowing blue, attempted to pierce them. Unsurprisingly, they dodged. However, as they opened their mouth and ran forward to continue attacking relentlessly, they were too distracted to notice when tall bones broke the surface of the hall floor, hitting the child square in the heart and holding them there until they died. As the world reset him to where he was standing before, his mind was still turning. _What had happened?_


	3. Chapter 3

Theresa was having a hard time wrapping her head around everything. It still didn't make sense; none of it did. The flower had led her through several rooms which could've been identical, all decked in stone carvings, though some contained buttons and switches; they were mostly covered in tight vines, though. Flowey, or Asriel, or whichever he went by, didn't talk much as they traversed through the Ruins, as he vaguely called them. He merely moved forward, frowning in slight confusion and concentration. Actually, the only time they really interacted was soon after she had woken up.

She had nodded weakly in response to his comment, simply looking at him in a few silent moments, waiting for him to do something. She was just grateful she wasn't gone, dead, whatever you want to call it, even if she had no clue as to why that was. Finally, the flower seemed to make up his mind.

"So… You said your name was Theresa, right?" he asked, smiling slightly.

She nodded mutely and weakly, head still fuzzy from whatever had happened. She opened her mouth to comment, but her voice faltered and her head spun, making her shut her eyes and wince.

Tilting its head, the flower disappeared into the ground, reappearing directly in front of her. "Did that… Hurt?" he asked, though he seemed unsure, like a little kid.

Swallowing painfully, she tried to speak again. "Wh-Which part?" she managed to get out, with a cough. "Falling, tripping, tripping again, being attacked..?"

The flower frowned, but not menacingly, like before. She could've sworn she saw guilt flash across his eyes. "I'm… I guess I have a lot of explaining to do, don't I…?" She nodded weakly in response, and he continued. "I was never good with all of this talking stuff, you know. I used to get too emotional, ending up arguing with tears in my eyes," he laughed humorlessly, "but now, I can barely muster up sympathy for anyone. I wish I had those emotions. Now I'm pretty much limited to pain, I guess you could say… Pain gets anyone, even the soulless." Another laugh.

Theresa didn't comment. Her world was slowly steadying, even if it made zero sense. She was able to focus again, and felt the remnants of pain pricking her body, from when the pellets had struck her skin. _What had happened with those, anyway..?_ She absentmindedly lifted a hand to her wrist, clutching at where the heart had been. It had become a habit over the past year. That didn't mean she didn't flinch when, even if it was for the hundredth time, her fingertips brushed the scarred, risen skin.

The flower noticed the action, though with her hand turned at the angle it was, he only saw her grabbing her wrist, not the marks on it. "Marks" was such a small word. It didn't fit. She was fairly surprised he hadn't commented on them yet, too; her sleeves were shorter, and she had never really bothered to hide them. In her world, everyone and their mothers knew about the famed suicide attempt of the spoiled girl who had everything. Instead, though, the flower interpreted it as her remembering the heart that had floated there one timeline back; he wasn't completely wrong.

"I… Let's move further in. I know somewhere where we can talk. I know you probably are very… Confused. Right?"

Another nod. Taking a breath, she attempted to stand to her feet. She swayed for a second, and willed her legs to stop shaking by locking them in place. As she grit her teeth and willed the world to stay still for five seconds, she decided to ask the flower something she had wondered earlier.

"You said that your name was Flowey, right?"

The flower smiled slightly, nodding. Surprisingly, it wasn't accompanied by a sarcastic comment. "Yeah. Why?"

"I… I just wanted to make sure. Forgetting your name wouldn't exactly be good," she joked lamely. "Anyway… Flowey, then; where did you want us to go..?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're okay to walk? You look ready to fall over."

She nodded slightly. Her arm was still throbbing slightly, and her balance might not have been the best, but she was decidedly okay to walk. He blinked and looked her over, seeming to doubt her, but nodded after a moment; he proceeded to disappear, making a reappearance near the exit of the room.

Theresa was ready to open her mouth in question, but the flower cut her off. "Just save the questions until we go a little further, then I can explain everything. Or… As much as I can," he paused a moment, glancing over her apparel, "I'm pretty sure you can get some shoes there, too. Maybe some warmer clothing. And you'll be able to rest."

The flower waited for her to join him at the exit of the room, only then moving ahead to the next exit, or to wherever he was still in eyesight of her. As they passed their third room, Theresa couldn't hold in one of her questions any longer.

"W-What about the resets?" she asked quickly. The flower stared at her for a moment, so she continued, "Y-You said that they happen and… I don't know. It sounded like they almost… Restart things, from the way you said they could… Make me forget. And that another one would happen soon enough. And what about the person you mentioned? W-What if they come here?"

He blinked at her, slightly astounded she remembered their conversation so precisely after triggering whatever-it-was to happen. He wasn't keen on trying to explain the resets at the moment, or trying to figure out what exactly the girl had done before. Flowey wasn't sure exactly how much the girl knew about whatever powers she seemed to have; from the way she was clueless about the resets, it seemed a moot point to try and interrogate her on them.

"From what I saw back there," he said, deadly serious, "Resets won't affect you like I had predicted. Apparently, they only make you dizzy." The girl blanched. _That had been a reset?_

"…D-Did… That p-person do that…?"

"Chara?" the girl nodded, so he continued, "Actually… No. They didn't cause that one. Theresa… I don't know how to say this, and I've never been good at subtlety. I killed you. Your soul broke. Or, in your case, it faded away to nothing; broke is too harsh of a word. _You_ reset to a random point. Or… Loaded, I guess. Except, you had nothing to load _from_ , so I don't know if that'd be the right word for it. You just… Came back. I don't know how to explain what I saw."

The girl had frozen where she stood, but the flower kept talking. "You didn't even disappear to a point in time. You stayed where you were, but pushed time back _around you_ ," the flower was frowning, "Normal people… Actually, _no one_ can do that. No one _should be able to do that_. But then again… No one should be able to do what Chara does, either. Or what I do. Theresa… Chara, or rather Frisk, were one of a literal handful of people who can manipulate that sort of thing," he took a shuddering breath, before looking up at the girl, "Do y' get me?"

She froze, but slowly nodded. The flower sighed, and if he had hands, he would've put his head in his hands. "I can tell I just confused you even more. That's just great. Just… I'll explain more down the road. Just know, that you… You're not normal. And that's saying something, coming from me. I… I know Chara well. And, if they felt even the _slightest_ portion of what I did when you reset, or whatever you did, then they won't destroy this timeline, or this world. Not when they realize something new is here, something fun; a new toy, almost. _You_ ," pausing, the flower looked up, making sure the girl was still following, "Heck, I barely understand ya', or what you did back there. Your soul, _fading_ like that. Most shatter, or crumble. If I don't understand ya, then Chara might not. And if there's even the slightest chance Chara is confused right now… It's a chance to beat them, Theresa."

She hadn't commented the entire time that the flower was trying to explain their situation, and didn't intend to break her silence now. He laughed bitterly. "I know… How much pressure that is. How bad it sounds. But… Jeez, I don't know how to explain to you how bad I messed up; I pretty much screwed this world over. And, if I help you… If we can… Hurt… Chara… I might be able to make up for it, if only slightly…" He was smiling, but clearly pained. Tears would've been in his eyes if he hadn't been above crying.

He cleared his throat, pausing for a second. "You aren't affected by resets or loads, anyway. Neither am I, thankfully. If we keep moving, then no matter what Chara pulls-"

The flower stops midsentence, frowning. "Speaking of…" he murmured. His eyes widened, and he quickly looked up at the human. "I… I'm not sure how you're gonna react to this, so jus-"

A wave of nausea overcame Theresa, making her cringe and shut her eyes. The world tilted around her, and she barely kept herself standing, the walls of the room warping in front of her. Then, it froze, before a feeling of falling overcame her, as if she had been dropped off of a cliff wall, or plummeted down a cave; yes, that would be considered irony. It was over as quickly as it had begun, and she found herself standing where she had been a moment before, same as always if only slightly disoriented. The flower cocked an eyebrow at her, trying to judge if she'd pass out or not.

Swallowing the bile in her throat, Theresa broke the stretching silence. "W… Was _that_ Chara…?" she asked, blinking away her confusion.

The flower smiled emotionlessly. "Yep. That would be Chara. That skeleton has been doing a good job of holding up against them. I'm sure your little distraction was much appreciated."

"So… Did they… 'Reset'?" she asked tentatively.

Flowey nodded, dropping the fake smile. "They were killed. Again. They loaded a point in time before they were dead, and, if I had to guess, a very pissed off version of them is currently challenging their skeleton friend one more time. Well, hopefully that. If they aren't there, then they're on their way to the Ruins. And that wouldn't be good for anyone."

Theresa nodded slowly. She was glad she had paid attention to her tutors, so she was becoming able to wrap her head around how the pretty much time-travel thing was working; she just wasn't clear on how exactly it was possible. But, she was hopeful that Flowey would answer her questions when they arrived at wherever he was taking her.

"So… We should get moving, then…?" she asked, surprisingly calm. Actually, calm wouldn't be a good word; numb was more like it. At a nod from the flower, the pair set off again, definitely more determined than when they had first met, not minutes ago. Now, they had some sort of hope, no matter how faint it might be.

It wasn't until they had been walking for a few minutes that they reached a room lacking a puzzle; in its stead was a quaint house, though it didn't seem cheery. It looked bleak, deserted. Theresa was glad they had finally reached something over than open cave walls, plus, her feet were beginning to ache from being shoeless the entire time, and she was fairly certain she had some gravel stuck in them. She walked in first, the door creaking open as she did so. It would've looked cozy, but the rooms were silent and the air was stiff. Like the rest of the so called Ruins, no trace of life could be found. _What had happened here…? Did this one person, Chara, do_ all _of this…?_

Flowey came in after her, face grim. He remembered this place, and, looking back to it, no matter when he came here, he was never treated badly. It was his own fault things went the way they did after he came back, and acted the way he did. They were ready to welcome him back, even if it was pityingly. They didn't… No one deserved to die for that. Not for another's boredom. Heck, not for anything. He winced as he remembered Chara, and taking them to the surface. Had… Had it really been their plan… All along…?

He moved in front of the human girl, gesturing for her to follow him. He moved into the hallway to the left, to where a similar copy of the room he was so familiar with was; the only real difference was that this room had one bed, not two. Theresa moved into the room hesitantly, it felt like she was intruding. There were clearly memories here, and she didn't have a right to any of them. She was almost curious as to what had happened to whoever had lived here… The room was clearly meant for a young child, but, seeing what had happened to the barren Ruins, she wasn't sure she wanted to know their fate.

The flower moved forward from where the human was still standing in the doorway, tentative about going in. It'd still feel like intruding to her.

Flowey talked to her as he looked around the room, memories flooding back. He could've stopped all of the carnage. But he didn't. "There's a huge box of shoes over here, there might be some in your size… I'm not sure, though, they are for kids…" He kept looking for a moment before pausing, turning around to look at the girl. "Hey, I know you're never supposed to ask a girl her age, or whatever, but how old are ya', anyways?"

Theresa smiled; despite the situation, it was funny that he acknowledged social pretenses. "It never made sense to me either, but my mom always hated people asking her age. I'm twenty; I just turned that, actually. How old are you?" Flowey's eyebrows shot up. The girl was _that_ old? She certainly didn't look it, with her height barely reaching 5'2. And… No one but younger kids, thirteen at the oldest, ever fell down here. She really was an odd case.

"I was only… Eleven, I think, when I changed to looking like this," he gestured towards himself, "I stopped counting after that. I'm the same age as Chara, though…" Theresa couldn't help but notice how much he mentioned Chara as if he personally knew them… _Did he…? And… If so… What does it say that he was friends with the person who apparently killed this world…?_

"Anyways, these shoes look like they might fit you. They're not exactly matching your outfit, but they will work better for the town we have to go through next." The flower tossed a pair of boots over his, for lack of a better term, shoulder, and they landed at the girl, or, _woman_ 's feet. She grabbed them, hesitantly moving further into the room. She sat on the bed, noticing how soft the bed was. She couldn't stop thinking about whose bed it was, and where the poor kid was now… Only as she began to tug on the soft boots did she notice that they were indeed meant for colder weather. She glanced up as she finished with one shoe, seeing the flower was looking, misty eyed, around the room, taking in the surroundings, especially the picture frame that sat on the dresser.

"So, is where we're going… Cold?" she asked.

The flower nodded, pulling himself away from the picture frame. "For now, yeah. Eventually, if we end up walking all the way to the Core to face Chara, then it'll be hotter, but for now, we're heading to Snowdin. Speaking of…" he tilted his head at Theresa, who looked so small and hopeless, shoulders curled in as she sat on the edge of the child's bed. Her right arm was where it usually sat, absentmindedly curled around her left wrist. "You're still probably wondering what's going on here, huh?" With a nod from the girl, he continued: "I guess I'll start with your soul…"

Theresa nodded, and the world dimmed slightly, and, miraculously, the heart from before was back hovering over her forearm and beating in time. It still shone pearly white, though now its sheen was rainbow colored. Flowey still stood across from her, and began talking in a confident voice; _this_ he knew, and could explain.

"Well, the heart you have is your soul. It's sort of everything you are down here. You don't have a soul, well; you're pretty much not alive. Trust me. Before, when I… when I attacked you, yeah, it hurt you, but the goal was your soul. If your soul is destroyed, you're destroyed. Usually, you'll get into minor fights with other inhabitants here, and they'll try and attack your soul. N-Not that… Not that that's much of a problem, anymore… But, you can either attack back, or try and get out of the battle peacefully," he winced, closing his eyes, "Please, Theresa… Please, don't attack. Jeez, that's where all this started, anyway… Attacking is… Something Chara would do. Just… Please. Don't. For your sake." Theresa nodded slowly, still trying to process this.

She broke the silence that hung in the air. "So… By other inhabitants, you mean…?"

"Oh… Right. Do, um… Do you know where you are?" he asked bluntly; still, how could she _not_ know where she was? Most of the humans that fell at least knew the rumors of the mountain…

She shook her head, patiently. "Not at all. I don't remember really anything besides getting up this morning at home, and then it sort of fades… Then I was here, you know?"

"Jeez… Well, do you know about Mt. Ebott?"

This got a look of confusion from the girl. "Well, yes, but that's… That's at least a two hour trip away from where I live."

The flower's eyes widened in turn, eyebrows drawing together. "How did you end up here…?" he murmured. "Well… Err… I hate to say it, but I can't try and figure out your past right now. I need to try and figure out what your power is… Yeah. Let's do that."

Theresa wasn't exactly confident or trusting in Flowey, but he was all she had for the time being, and with an apparently deadly threat now fully aware she was in their domain… She needed to learn this. This was the new reality for the time being; she couldn't afford to complain about it now.

"As much as I hate to say it," Flowey began, "I don't have the time to try and fully prepare you for whatever Chara is planning as we talk. I know them… They're manipulative, and will do whatever they want. Heck, _I_ would do that… I also don't have the time to try and give you a history lesson, either. Long story short, I'm not a nice person. At least, I wasn't… Jeez, I'm not even a person… Pretty much, you're in a world of literal and figurative monsters, and I can tell you right now that the most dangerous thing you'll encounter here doesn't look like one. Chara, Frisk… They weren't the same person, but at this point, I don't know. Don't trust either of them.

"Pretty much…" he took a shuddering breath, "This timeline is done for, Theresa. I don't know how else to say it. You could count the number of living people still here on one hand right now, and the rest are fleeing. But Chara won't stop here. They… They're going to kill everyone, human or not. They're going to destroy everything, me and you included. I… I'm so sorry you ended up in this world, but," he smiled weakly, "I'm almost happy. You are a chance, and not just for me; it's obvious, if you know me, that I don't deserve one. And i-it's too late for _so many_ people. I… I doubt you can go back that far, it'd… it'd be completely… unreasonable…"

He slowed, cutting himself off. Tears were beginning to gather in his eyes, but now he stared at her through them. A light bulb might as well have been turning off above his head.

"You've done it before," he whispered. Theresa was slightly more confused than before now. She had just been coming to terms with the fact that this world was ruined, and the most she could do would be to escape with _possibly_ her life. What did he mean, _she'd done it before_?

"A-At the entrance!" he said, seemingly wonderstruck. "I-I knew you did something different than Chara, but I couldn't place my finger on it. Now, I get it! _You hadn't been in the room at the time you went back to_. After you died, and brought yourself back, however you did it, you didn't go back to just before your death, you came back a good few minutes. You wouldn't have been even _awake_ in the first timeline at that point. B-But, you did it. You did it!"

"How… Are you saying that I put myself into a place… Did I teleport? Time _and_ space wise…?"

The flower seemed to understand it a little better than she did, but even then it was clear he was grasping at straws, too. "If… If we can send you back, reset the world to _before_ Chara found a host… Theresa," the flower looked amazed, and determined, "you… You could fix _everything_. Then… Then, after all of this, you'd be able to get home, too!" He added the last sentence as an afterthought, remembering the girl had her own goals in this.

Theresa was slowly understanding the situation entirely; but, she had one question. "I-I can do that," she said, determinedly, "Just… Why me…? I mean, I'm not complaining, but you said t-this wasn't normal. Why can I do it…?"

Flowey tilted his head at her. "Honestly? I'm not sure. I know that, usually, it has to do with either prior information, or… A really strong motive. I'm not really sure how you have either of those, but," he shrugged, and they exited the battle mode, the heart on her arm disappearing. This time, the flower had been glancing at the heart on her arm as it faded away, uncovered.

"Another… Weird thing, about you…" he murmured, as if talking to himself, eyebrows furrowed together. "Most people's souls are over their actual hearts. But yours… Is on your… Arm…" It was then that he cut himself off; Theresa barely flinched when she realized he was the skin on her forearm, and realized what the marks meant. She drew in a shallow breath, offering the flower a small smile, not bothering to cover up her arm; it was clear he'd seen it. Her left forearm had large, jagged scars going up and down the center, right along the veins. It had been a miracle she'd survived. It'd also been an embarrassment, for her family. The daughter who seemingly had it all, wanting more, needing more attention… The whispers never stopped after that night.

"I-It… It happened a while ago. I'm better now," and when she said it, she was proud to say she meant it with all of her heart. No one in her life had been helping her fix herself, though; she did it all her own, eventually. And it took a lot.

The flower just nodded, looking at her seriously. "You don't need to talk about it; the past is the past, right? If you say you're better now… I believe you. People change. But… It makes sense, I guess. You don't… Don't want to die now, right? That's why you're so determined… To live…" he said it quietly.

She merely nodded, smiling softly and genuinely. They both sat in silence for a moment before Flowey spoke. "I hate to make it seem like I'm rushing this, but… There hasn't been a reset for a while. Chara hasn't died for a while. That's not good, no matter what it means. We need to send you back."

She only said one word, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes. "How?" her voice was steely; determined.

"I… I can't do that for you. You just have to… Want it, I guess. We should probably get to where you need to be, though… It'd be bad if you appeared in Toriel's house…" _so_ that's _who's house it was… Whoever that was…_ "But, the center square of Snowdin wouldn't be good, either…"

Another light bulb went off over his head. "I… I think I know where we can put you. It'd still be risky, but… We don't have much of a choice, do we…?"

She kept quiet, letting the flower figure things out himself. It took him a few seconds, but he finally seemed to make up his mind, and reappeared by the doorframe. "We need to hurry; if Chara sees you, or me, who knows what'll happen."

She followed Flowey's lead down into the home's basement, continuing down the long, ominous hallway. As they reached the end and came across a large door, Flowey winced from where he had been looking at the floor. There was a nearly untouched pile of white dust, except for the footprints of a young child, clear on the edge as they had walked over it.

Flowey turned to her, tears in his eyes. "Just… No matter what happens… _Don't_ be like Chara. Don't kill, _please_ , Theresa."

She smiled at him, somberly. "I… I won't. I swear," she promised, "And… Call me Reesa, okay? My friends call me that, not Theresa."

Flowey gave her a genuine smile, and together they opened the door, revealing a snowy, almost outdoor like scene. She automatically shivered, her loose, warm weathered clothes not meant for this type of weather. Flowey noticed her reaction and frowned. "Hopefully, you'll be out of here soon…" he murmured, and they began walking. The silence was eerie. When they finally reached the town square, it looked so odd and deserted. It was clearly meant to have people milling about, smiling… She wanted to, no, she _would_ set it back. The presents under the tree, with their careful, handwritten name tags… She would fix this.

The flower led her to one of the houses that didn't particularly stand out. "Try the handle?" he requested, looking around the village wearily. She did, and upon finding it locked, the flower muttered something, and disappeared. Moments later, the handle clicked, and the door creaked open, revealing Flowey. Theresa should've guessed that one locked door wasn't an issue in a world where time travel was seemingly possible, and monsters celebrated Christmas. She hurriedly stepped inside, grateful for the less chilly air; she still had goose bumps covering her arms, though.

"This is… You remember, I mentioned someone holding Chara off, keeping their attention? It's his house. He lives, lived, with his brother here. I'm not sure which will be more of a problem for you," Flowey mumbled. "The younger brother is fairly simpleminded, but he knows people on the guard."

Turning to her, Flowey looked slightly nervous, but determined as ever. "I'm honestly not sure how they'll react. But, it's surely better than this… Just, warn them, no matter what. And _don't_ trust Frisk. There's no way for now to tell if they're different from Chara. I don't think it's too late for them, but… You can never be sure, okay?" She nodded.

"H… How do I… Do it?" she asked, nervously, hand gripping her forearm.

The flower frowned. "I… I don't know. Just, if you want it, it's easy, okay?" he smiled, "Be confident. And go to…" He gestured for a marker on the nearby end table, and Reesa complied, grabbing it. "Write this date on your arm, okay? It's exactly five days before Frisk falls. Just focus on it, and you'll be good."

They waited in silence for a few minutes, her eyes tightly shut in concentration. She shyly opened her eyes, slowly shaking her head. "I-It's not… Working…"

She probably would've continued, but they were cut off by a small child's laugh sounding from outside. Flowey blanched, and Reesa froze. That look of fear on Flowey's face… "It's Chara," Flowey mouthed, terrified.

A slashing sound ripped through the air, and the door fell in two. In its place stood a small child, not clearly a boy or girl, with shaggy brown hair and a knife dripping with a red liquid. "W-Who…? Did you k-kill the skeleton, Chara…?" Flowey asked in a squeaky voice.

They merely laughed, stepping forward, towards Flowey first. His eyes widened, and he momentarily turned to Reesa, and was halfway through forming a word before the child's knife flew at his, cutting clean through him. His voice cut off quickly, but it was clear he was yelling the beginning of "now!". It didn't take much concentration or effort; when those soulless eyes focused on her, and their grin widened, realization flashing across their face, the feeling she had earlier overtook Reesa's body, and she briefly held onto the image that she had scrawled on her arm, and, with the date clear in her mind, her surroundings rippled and her head felt like it was getting crushed.

She fell to her knees, faintly acknowledging both Flowey and Chara were gone. Instead, a skeleton stood in front of her, momentarily frozen in surprise. She felt her head getting fuzzy, feeling like it was getting smaller and smaller… The last thing she saw before blacking out completely was the blue of the skeleton's hoodie.


	4. Chapter 4

It was worse than when she woke up before, in the clearing. Back then, it had mainly been disassociation with the world, a headache coming with it. But she was on her feet soon enough, and had been automatically able to move. Maybe, the situation had something to do with it; who knows. In the room at the beginning, Flowey wasn't looking to hurt her when she woke back up. He was clearly interested in her, seeing a spark of hope that had been wiped out completely before; waking up, she wasn't in danger, only slightly confused. And, back then, she had been able to think. She had moved automatically, and her head was working well enough for her to realize that her heart was gone. Now…

She wasn't thrown abruptly into consciousness, like before. No, she faded in, if that makes sense. There was no line between reality and wherever she was. There were just times when her head heart more than usual, and times when the darkness she was in was more appealing than others. Eventually, her head began hurting more. She wasn't really sure when that difference happened, though. Time wasn't making sense right now. Heck, it wasn't making sense even when she _was_ fully conscious, she honestly shouldn't have expected this to be any better. Anyway, eventually the black around her began to fade; the blocks on her senses were slowly being pushed away, except for the pain that encompassed her head.

One of the first things she noticed was that she wasn't collapsed on the floor, like she had anticipated. The next thing was that, despite the intense throbbing in her head, she remembered everything with Flowey perfectly, no gaps whatsoever; if only she had that with the events leading up to her falling… She'd be a lot better off. Her body was still sluggish, though. As she began sifting through her memories with Flowey, it clicked in her mind that she wasn't really awake yet, like when you realize you're in a dream.

Head foggy, she tried to blink open her eyes to make herself wake up fully. Hesitantly, she succeeded, and her senses faded back to life. One of the first things that caught her attention was how _cold_ she was, and she instinctively pulled her arms closer to her torso, shivering slightly. Her thin clothing really wasn't meant for chilly weather; it was fit for warm evenings lounging about in the humid air, or sitting in a window, the slightest hint of a breeze keeping you cool in the summer heat… But… Not anymore… She winced; the light of whatever room she was in wasn't helping the post-travel headache, and bringing up painful memories of summer nights… stolen kisses… angry, pain filled, yelling… pain… blades… pushing… falling… executions. She was awake now.

The next thing she noticed as she tried to clear the blur of sleep from her eyes was that someone's gaze was clearly on her, sending chills down her back. She lifted one of her hands from their resting position, curled on her left forearm, and rubbed her eyes, trying to gain the ability to see clearly, then brushing her hair out of her face and behind her ears, attempting to subtlety open up her peripheral vision, since she was still laying flat on her back, but it was challenging as she was still out of it. Whoever was obviously in the room with her hadn't said anything yet; she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Flowey had said before that she was in the home of two previously, or, now, _going to be_ dead brothers… _Was one of them here,_ now? _Was it the "simpleminded" one, or…_ She cringed inwardly. _The one who had managed to hold off the person who had slaughtered nearly every inhabitant of this world…?_ She didn't like the thought of that. Not at all. If she had to guess, though, she would think she was dealing with the "simpleminded" one. _I really wish I had thought to ask what their names were…_ Inwardly saying the violent one and the childish one wasn't going to work for long, especially considering she had been in _their_ house.

Oh, God. She didn't think this through. The house _of the only person who could hold off Chara, the apparent psychotic child with unreasonable strength who was going to destroy this world,_ again _, in a few days. Maybe less…_

 _This Chara person… They had killed Flowey, hadn't they..?_ Reesa hadn't stayed in that… "timeline"…? Yes, that "timeline" long enough to see what happened after the knife slashed through the flower, but it was implied no one could survive a hit like that, much less a plant, despite how strong Flowey claimed to be. _W… Would he be…? Alive, now…? If I really am in the past…?_ She paused in her thinking, then mentally shook her head. She would have to figure that out after she solved the current problem; who knows, maybe whichever brother this was would have the answer…? As she had been thinking before interrupting her own train of thought, she was fairly confident she had the simpleminded brother right now. It was clear she had been moved from where she vaguely remembered collapsing; she had without a doubt fallen on the floor, and now as her headache was slowly clearing it was blatantly obvious she was on a couch or loveseat of some sort. The other brother didn't sound like the type to do that, based on how Flowey had talked about him, with a mixture of awe and fear…

Speaking of… The brother would've noticed by now that she was awake, if she was right in feeling that someone had been watching her as she completed her inner monologue. She was sure she wasn't exactly subtle when she opened her eyes and shifted her hands to where they were. Theresa was fairly confident she was fully awake and competent now, but didn't want to move from her uncomfortable resting position on the couch. This wouldn't be a fun conversation. She didn't even know the names of these people; all she knew was that Chara slash whatever else Flowey had called them… Risk? Was that it? That they were bad, and Flowey _might_ have been bad, but wasn't in the future… Did these people even know about the timeline problem…? Did they know she was a human…? Did they _kill_ humans, here…?

She wanted to shudder at the thought, but refrained. Instead, she decided to shakily take in a deep breath, and attempt to sit up; even if she had done this timeline thing correctly, Flowey made it very clear she was on a time limit, and didn't get a second try at this. Once Chara knew the full extent of who she was, what she could do… They would most likely kill her as they did to others, then ruin this world in whatever way they wanted to. They had come into the house drenched in… _Was it blood…_? Even the person holding them off eventually failed. There really was no hope if she failed at this…

Breathing out slowly, a calming technique she had learned long ago, she moved her right hand and ever so slowly began to turn herself to the side, sitting up and supporting herself on her left side, keeping her eyes cast down. She was now sitting at an angle, with her legs folded together and feet pointing at the end of the couch she was on; her hands were propping her up, and she didn't bother trying to hide the scars, which were prominent and facing outward at this angle. It really was the least of her problems at the moment. Her head spun from the movement, but it cleared after a few seconds. Whoever was in the room with her still hadn't spoken.

As her eyes focused, Theresa was fairly confident that the dizzy spell was over. The one with Flowey had subsided after she started moving around, and she hoped the same could be said for now. She couldn't afford being dizzy, or falling, right now. She had a lot of explaining to do.

She looked up from where she had been staring, apparently enthralled with the zigzag blue and purple carpet that coated the floor. She hadn't noticed it when she came in with Flowey; the house also just… felt different. Less abandoned, if that makes sense. It was still chilly, but compared to the cold emptiness of when she was here a week later, it was a big improvement. Her eyes drifted upwards, taking in her surroundings. It looked the same, but, as she said earlier, different. A television set was parallel to her, and the loft like area with the two doors was the same. As she scanned the room left to right, there was one fairly noticeable difference. At the entrance of a connected, tiled room, a fairly short person was standing, gaze intent on her.

She made eye contact, and felt herself blanch, gaze widening as much as it had when she had first set her black eyes on Flowey, back in the caves. Only now, she was far less keen to be stuttering; she was too busy being frozen in fear to make busy, awkward conversation.

What she had originally thought was a fairly normal person, like her, was actually very different. Of course; she should have anticipated this. Flowey had made it clear the usual rules don't apply in this world; monsters lived here, and _she_ was the one intruding, the outcast, the human. _W… What…_ She had also heard Flowey's constant references to the one brother; _"the skeleton"_. That implied both of the brothers were skeletons; but, skeletons… They are the stories told to little children, to keep them in line and in bed at night. _They were never meant to be real…_

Even if she had been paying enough attention to anticipate that she would be facing a skeleton and had prepared herself for that, there was no way she could be prepared for the look he was giving her. The lighting of the room just highlighted the huge dips on his face from where the… God… the _bone_ was curving, and it was emphasized by the huge shadows that were his eye sockets, both of which were completely black, devoid of pupils. She might've been imagining it, but she could've sworn his left eye had a blue, shifting tinge. It could've just been some reflection of the blue hoodie he was wearing. _Do skeletons even get cold…?_ She couldn't help the silly question from forming in her mind. Whether or not skeletons needed heaters wasn't exactly the issue at hand.

He broke the silence, seeing as the frozen, literally and mentally, human with her mouth slightly agape in fear wasn't going to be much for conversation. "Let me get something clear, before the pleasantries," he began. _God… Why,_ why _, did he have to be smiling like that…?_ If it was meant to be throwing the human into even more fear and doubt, it was working. "The **reason you're not dead where you stand is because,** I have to admit, **I'm curious.** "

This made her mind freeze up completely. _Flowey didn't warn me about this. How do I help if… If I'm dead before I can even try…? Oh God… I don't… I-I don't want to die…_ She froze up completely. Even if she wanted to reply, or try to run, she couldn't will muscles to move; fear held her in place like a trap.

"So, kid," he began again. Now she was sure she wasn't imagining it; his left eye was definitely bluish and wavering, " **Care to explain how and why you ended up in this house?** **Cause last I checked, I didn't invite you in.** "

The smile was getting to her. She had no doubt that she had been wrong in her assumption; this guy seemed more than capable of holding off the murderous child that was Chara. So, that's why she mentally slapped herself, repetitively, when the only thing she could say after that was to blurt out in a small voice, "D-Don't call me kid." She was bracing herself for whatever the skeleton would do when she commented on _that_ , of all the things she could've said… But… the last person who called her kid… She was tempted to frown at the memory, and would've if not for the situation. Sure, she had talked to that man a few times over the past year, but the one memory with him that stuck. There was a reason she was afraid of heights. She couldn't go back to that memory, though, not now. She just had to remember, _she was alive now_ , and that was all that mattered.

The skeleton's face changed slightly, looking almost amused; it almost looked like he raised an eyebrow, except, well, for the lack of eyebrows. He laughed slightly, but it was pretty humorless.

"'K, then, _human_. **Why are you here…?** " he asked. His face wasn't showing any hint as to what he was feeling, but it was pretty obvious to Theresa that she was getting low on time before he lost patience with her. His not so discreet threat… She had no doubt he wouldn't hesitate to go through with it.

"I… I…" she hadn't moved from her uncomfortable, forced position on the couch, and her arms were beginning to shake with strain and fear. Plus, she was beginning to get uncomfortable with her scars being pointed almost directly in the guy's direction. They tended to make conversation awkward, and she had enough of that at the moment. So, very slowly, so as to not make the skeleton do anything rash, she moved her legs to the edge of the couch, shifting her skirt meanwhile. As she adjusted her weight, so she could sit up without supporting herself by her arms, she hesitantly folded them, bringing them closer for heat and a feeble sense of protection. The skeleton hadn't said anything to her movement, though he was clearly still on guard and threatening. "It's a long story," she finished meekly. "I… Y-You have a brother, right?" She was grasping at the feeble straws of information she had on this guy, and she couldn't exactly use the piece about him fighting off a murderous ten year old who had destroyed everything in his world.

This was the wrong thing to say. Very, very wrong thing to say. His eye was unmistakably blue now, and the other was as pitch black as her own. His hand had a blue glow to it now, too, almost looking like it was surrounded by blue flames.

" **W h a t. d o. y o u. k n o w. t. s** ," he said slowly, grin wide as ever. She froze. Or, stayed frozen more determinedly; she was already pretty unmoving. She didn't have much time to reply to that, because before she could tell what was happening, in a brief flash of light, a large skeleton like head appeared, like that of a… Goat, maybe? A deer? She didn't have time to figure it out because, at that moment, it opened its maw and fired a seemingly huge beam of light at her; she had a feeling it wasn't good.

She screamed, panicked. _I didn't have a chance. Or, I did, but… God, I messed it up._ She blindly threw up her hands, knowing in less than a second the beam would collide with her body. Guess the guy had lost his curiosity. _I never even learned his name, did I…?_

As soon as the beam hit her outstretched hand, though, and the pain began to hit her, it froze. Her eyes had shut themselves as the bright light came at her, but now she hesitantly opened them. The beam was frozen, barely touching and burning her hand. Slowly, she pulled it backwards, looking up and around it. The skeleton was frozen where he stood, hand outstretched, and the flames in his eye unmoving. _What…?_

Realizing that the beam couldn't hurt her or progress any further, she hesitantly put her feet on the ground, pushing herself to a standing position. She carefully walked away from the skeleton and the couch, instead positioning herself by the staircase. Had she… _Frozen time_ …?

It honestly wouldn't surprise her at this point. She took in a shaky breath. Now… _How exactly do I_ unfreeze _time…?_

She stood there for a few moments, willing it to happen. Suffice to say, it didn't. She bit her lip, nervously. This was not good. Being frozen in time… Not going to get anyone anywhere, will it…?

 _Maybe…?_ A trick she always used to wake herself up out of stupors, she lifted her left hand, pinching her right arm hard. At the spike of pain, her eyes widened, and time's wheels began turning again. The beam quickly cut itself off, and the skeleton flinched, turning quickly to see that the girl had somehow moved from where she had stood to across the room. She had barely noticed that, in her panic, the heart that rested on her forearm had reappeared, with its rainbow-esque sheen. The skeleton opened his mouth as if to speak, but shut it moments later, while Theresa stood there in silence, mentally preparing herself for a getaway.

Finally, the skeleton spoke. "Well… That's new."

Theresa simply nodded. "Y-Yeah… I thought so, too."


	5. Chapter 5

_Finally, the skeleton spoke. "Well… That's new."_

 _Theresa simply nodded. "Y-Yeah… I thought so, too."_

The two stood in a sort of staring contest for a moment, neither wanting to move. Reesa was questioning if she was still in danger of being attacked, heart beating out of her chest. She wished Flowey was here; she still had little to no clue as to what was going on, and having the one person who's supposed to help you try and kill you off… It's not boding well for the rest of the time she's going to spend here. Speaking of… Where _was_ she going to be staying…? If she pulled this off right, she had five days to try and convince these people she wasn't crazy, and that they needed to form a plan as to… how to do something. _Where do I start with this…?_

She was sure she looked like a deer in headlights, with her hair a mess from laying on it, the heart hovering on her forearm beating out of control, and her loose clothing tangled and twisted. Self conscious of how clearly fast her heart was beating, she made a weak attempt to hold her arms to hide it; she wasn't able to look away from the skeleton, though. She was terrified.

"I… I don't really know how to e-explain…" she began, stammering. She wanted nothing more than to not be here. And, even with the adrenaline pumping through her veins, her fingers were slowly becoming numb from cold.

The skeleton was still observing her, not really talking. Finally, he put his hand down, cautiously. The blue faded from his eyes, but his eyes were still blank and pupil-less.

"Well… You could try and start with how you're not… You know… Dead," he deadpanned. There might've been a touch of forced humor to his words, but she couldn't be sure. Right now, she was pretty sure she was in perpetual shock.

"I… I, um… A-About… That…" she took a shuddering breath, "I don't know. I was… Hoping… You'd know m-more about all of… _this_."

"'This'?" he questioned. She nodded, hesitantly.

"Well, ya' see, I'd love to help and all, but right now I'm still wondering why you're here. I could've sworn I locked the door."

She cringed. "I… I had to, I guess…"

The skeleton sighed, putting a hand to his face. "Just cut to the chase, kid. I don't know you, do I…?" the tone of his voice alluded to something more, but he seemed wary against saying it outright. "But you know my brother. That's not exactly something normal, is it, kid?"

She cringed again, but it was more out of annoyance and memories instead of the situation at hand. "P-Please, don't call me that. I-I'm not a kid…" she muttered, once again focusing on the lesser matter at hand. "A… And y-you're right, you d…don't know me... B-But I know you. Sort of…"

The skeleton gave an almost frustrated sigh. "We're not getting anywhere with this, are we?" he asked, leaning back on the doorframe. He gave a short laugh, "Usually, this isn't the first impression I give people." He stepped forward slightly, putting out his left hand; _was he left handed?_ "Let's back track a little; hi, I'm Sans, and it's _ice_ to meet you."

She had already began moving forward from her spot by the staircase, and she had closed half the distance before pausing, quirking an eyebrow. "Did… you just…" She could've sworn the skeleton's grin grew a little wider, but the joke did seem forced. It was a start, she guessed. She moved forward further, smiling slightly, tempted to laugh at the cheesy joke. As she was now at arms length, she too held out her left arm to shake hands, subtly trying to keep it facing downwards and away from his line of sight. It didn't exactly work.

As she put her hand in his, she resisted flinching at the feeling of bone against her skin. At this point, she wasn't sure he exactly _trusted_ her (to be fair, she wouldn't trust herself), but the pupils in his eye(socket?)s had begun to show, like white pinpricks. "What, ki-, er, human, don't find my jokes that _humerus_?"

She smiled, actually laughing a little. "I'm… Theresa." She tried not to freeze as his pupils abruptly vanished after they had trailed to her wrist; that didn't seem to be a good sign from what she'd seen. Hesitantly, she commented on it in a small voice, "Y-Your eyes… They changed again, didn't they…?"

She looked down, to where her hand now rested in his. Her hand was tilted upright, and the rippling marks were clearly curving around her wrist. _T… They always make things different, don't they…? God, I hate it… That_ look _they give you…_

She smiled as genuinely as she could, pulling her hand away. "I… I guess I should try to explain w-why I'm here, r…right…?"

He didn't say anything, and the grin on his face was obviously forced. "How old are you, anyways…?"

 _So we're going to talk about this, anyway. I guess it's better than f-fighting…_

Swallowing, she said with a small smile, "Twenty. W-What about you…?" She was debating feigning ignorance, keeping the practiced smile on her face. She had it down to a science. Act shy, smile as positively as you can, and just repeat the words "I'm okay, I promise".

He looked a little caught off guard at her response, clearly not expecting that answer. He didn't reply for a minute, instead, he just looked at her, as if trying to gauge if she was serious.

She broke the silence. "I-I just turned twenty last month, actually," she blurted out. "Y-You… Um… T-There aren't t-that many people who… I mean… Kids…"

He cut her rambling off with a quick hand movement, making her unconsciously flinch. He didn't say anything, but noticed the way her brown eyes quickly shut and her body tensed at the quick movement. This conversation wasn't getting anywhere, he noticed, and opted for a change in topic.

"Look, er… Theresa, right?" She gave a mute nod. "You know where you are, right…?"

It took her a few moments, but she gave a slow nod. She knew she was apparently under Mt. Ebott, in a world where those portrayed as monsters weren't the threat, where, instead, those highly revered in her world were truly dangerous, and where time manipulation was possible. She also knew that she was in an apparently snowy area that she had seen completely decimated, devoid of life. Specifically, she was in the house of two brothers, one of whom, the one in front of her, who could hold back a child with unreasonable power. So, yes, she was fairly sure she knew where she was.

The pupils in his eyes hadn't fully come back, and she could tell that it was all too tempting to look back down to her wrist, to see if the scars were still there, not imagined. _Trust me, they're still there_. To his credit, though, he did bring up a different topic.

"So, you know that you're in Snowdin. Where it, ya know, snows. And you're dressed like that." Unconsciously, she looked down. The adrenaline of whatever happened earlier, the beam of light that had singed her hand, had kept her fairly warm. Her clothes were made of fairly thin fabric, and the wrap around her waist didn't do much. The only thing that was really helping her were the shoes she got from the place Flowey had shown her, now slightly damp from the snow she had stepped through outside. After assessing her clothing and shivering slightly, she nodded hesitantly. It wasn't what she was expecting. The conversation had taken several sharp turns over the past few minutes, and she certainly didn't think the convenience of her clothing would be the next topic. She appreciated the skeleton's attempt at trying to bring some normalcy into it.

She smiled slightly. "Y-Yeah, I guess it is a little out of season."

He chuckled, and she couldn't tell if the humor was forced. If it was, it was well hidden. Now that he had regained a little control of the situation, he seemed a little harder to startle and more capable of adapting to the conversation. "That's one way to say it, huh?" he paused, looking over her clothing once more, "Want a jacket, or something?"

It was such a mundane question, she was tempted to laugh. Not five minutes ago she was trying to plead for her life, and now they were exchanging pleasantries. She wouldn't complain, though. She hadn't forgotten the seriousness of the situation, but she needed a moment to catch up to reality.  
"P-Please, t-that'd be good…" she murmured, still half smiling, arms folded over the wrap around her waist.

He shrugged. "No problem. It'd be no good to have you freezing to death before we can talk," he walked around her, towards the staircase. He technically turned his back on her, but someone would've had to be stupid to think he wasn't still wary. She had dealt with plenty of leaders who were experts with people; him taking his eyes off of her for a few seconds only proved he acknowledged that she wasn't stupid or low enough to try something in the five second opportunity.

As he turned, placing his right hand on the railing, he looked back at her for a second. "That was a joke, by the way."

As the skeleton disappeared into one of the rooms upstairs, Reesa let out a shaky breath. She didn't want to let her guard down, but… This was the only person who could help her. She hadn't been in this world for no more than… An hour…? So much had happened. What had she gotten herself into…? Now she was trying to save a group she knew little to nothing about, and was pretty sure she had put herself on the map of the person who had obliterated this world through and through. She hadn't anticipated her life would end up with her mattering so much, but, she had seen what remained of the area when she was there with Flowey. It all felt empty; cold. And the last defense, the skeleton she had been talking to, had seemingly been defeated. If she allowed the timeline to reach that point again… She shook her head slightly. She couldn't let it happen. She wouldn't.

Nearly soundless footsteps came again, and the skeleton soon stood at the base of the stairs, an identical hoodie to the one he was wearing in his hands. He stepped forward to hand it off to her and automatically stepped back, re-placing his hands in his pockets. She smiled slightly at him, hesitantly shrugging the dark blue jacket over her shoulders. It fell loosely over her small frame, despite her being a few inches taller than the skeleton.

"T-Thanks…" she said in a quiet voice, smile polite. They both were silent for a few seconds before Reesa continued in a small voice. "I… I really don't know w-where to start…"

He didn't reply. He had been right in assuming that the girl had been a threat, with what she had done in response to his attack. Even the humans that had come before, none of them had been able to do what she did, whatever it was. Hell, he didn't know. He really would've preferred to go to the lab, and see what the readings showed; that'd give more of a clue as to what was going on than anything this girl would tell him. It'd be easier to just kill her, if he was being honest, but it didn't seem like that would be easy; who knows what she'd already done, who she'd met. He doubted she would stay gone, too, if the earlier skirmish was any indication.

She didn't look like much, with her small frame and height barely taller than his. After a few more seconds of pondering, his permanent, easy-going smile on his face, he decided that she didn't seem one for attacking. You could never tell with humans, but at least this one… He could handle her if she tried anything. As long as Papyrus didn't come too close to her, or anyone, for that matter, he'd have time to figure out what to do.

He tilted his head slightly, smile ever present. "Ya don't have to talk if ya don't want to, human," he said, with _for now_ being the unsaid implication. Her skin was clearly naturally dark, but the color seemed empty. She looked ready to collapse like she had earlier, despite the hesitant smile on her face in response to his.

Despite the offer, the girl hesitantly shook her head. "I-I don't think that this c-can… really… spare any time…" she said weakly, still trying to smile. The jacket was helping, but she was still shivering and shaking, and she didn't know if it was the cold, the exhaustion, the fear, or some combination. The headache from manipulating time, or whatever it was that she did, was gone, but she still felt like the slightest gust of wind would knock her over. Not a good state when she was talking with… what had he said his name was… Sans…? The world was starting to waver slightly, and she unconsciously leaned against the wall for support.

"S…Sans… right…? I-I really… need…" she took a breath, "to… explain…?" She said the last part as if it was a question. She took another shuddering breath, trying to make her eyes focus. The effort of going back in time, or… whatever it was… was… really… She leaned fully against the wall, but her eyes were getting heavy. This time the skeleton didn't move as she passed out. But, in his defense, that might have had something to do with the front door opening quickly, and a very tall person stepping inside, clothing resembling the armor of the guards from above. No, not a person, she realized as she faded away…

"Sans! I am home! I was thinking of making spaghetti early today, so Undyne let me leave traini-" he cut himself off. "Sans?" he asked in an innocent tone, "Who is that, and why are they wearing your jacket?"


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Trigger warning for this chapter in particular.**

Reesa had never understood how, in the stories her mother told her, dreaming could be so easily confused for reality, or reveal a person's innermost thoughts. She now was reaching the conclusion that, really, lucid dreams were not that strange in the world she lived in. She only wished that she could have remembered the days where she, Ana, and Caro stole away in the night as young teenagers, giggling over wine bottles. Or the days when Ana would talk her ear off about a new science topic her father had introduced to her, the excitement in her eyes shining bright. Maybe even the days when she had been a child, crawling into her mother's arms when she had nightmares, seeking comfort.

No, instead she remembered the times of open windows and shattered glass. But that's not a very helpful description, is it? No, what she remembered was much more detailed.

She still had nightmares about the night she first tried to kill herself.

It was three years ago, when she was seventeen. No one had really noticed anything was wrong, and, if she was being honest with herself, no wonder they didn't. She had kept up the smiles, and her appearance was as normal as ever. She didn't suddenly lose weight, her skin didn't suddenly look lifeless, and she continued dressing in her vibrant attire, smile included. She looked fine. Only in her head was the storm that wracked and spiraled through her thoughts, until even that stopped. She was just… Numb.

Nothing had really pushed her over the edge; there was no sudden, final blow. It was more like something in her hollowing heart finally gave in, caving in on itself. She had sat in the quiet, vast household, alone, and pondered things. She knew she had friends. Family. But it didn't matter at the time. They would get along fine without her, right…? It almost fogged her thoughts, the faint need to disappear. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but… It really _wouldn't_ hurt them, right…?

It wasn't very hard as she crawled out of bed, bare feet growing cold on the floor, and made her way to the kitchen area. It wasn't hard as she slowly pulled the kitchen knife out of its sheath, slowly so as to avoid sound. It wasn't hard to place the freezing metal tip against her skin. It was hard to cut it, though. She cut deep and slow at first, but it hurt. Badly. Blood began to pour through the broken skin. She had to finish this. The cuts became more jagged. Uneven. She screamed as the knife penetrated her skin for the fifth time, pulling the blade carelessly through her wrist, just aiming to cut as much as she could. Tears were going down her face now. She didn't collapse, though. She hardly ever did. She was strong willed.

She registered footsteps hurrying down the stairs through her strangled, angry gasps and choked sobs. She wouldn't pass out. She held onto her strength, the will to not be in this world anymore, the will to just die already. All the phrases she told herself for forever, putting herself down, accumulated in her head spilled out again. She didn't collapse as rough hands fought for the knife in her grip. All of the emptiness in her heart was filled with a hollow flame that now wanted to consume her from the inside out. She didn't collapse as the knife was finally wrestled from her stiff fingers. She didn't collapse as she continued crying, clawing at the open, weeping wounds with her free right hand. She didn't collapse as she fought against the arms that now entrapped her, or as another pair of arms hurriedly pressed cloths to the mangled forearm. She didn't collapse as she heard the kitchen filling up. Finally she heard her parents' voices as they entered the room. She could've sworn she heard a younger girl's strangled cries.

She didn't collapse, though. In her distraught, blood-lost state, she still had enough left to reason that it was over, just not in the sense she wanted. Everyone would know by daybreak. Hell, everyone might already know.

She collapsed as a strong scented chemical flooded her breathing, making her eyes roll into her head as her mind was hit with a wave of the drug, leaving no room for a fight. It smelled sickly sweet, a mix of medicine and overbearing, rotten fruit.

The dream morphed easily to the next scene. The attempt she had made on her life had occurred six months ago. She was nearing her eighteenth birthday now. She always realized it was a dream at this point, but she could never do anything to stop the turn of events in the flashback.

She was standing where she had stood that evening, the cool of the night making goose bumps appear on her bare calves. A shawl was wrapped loosely around her arms; it hid the scars. She moved her bare feet absentmindedly, toeing where the edge of the tile met the beginning of the wall, not caring about the cold.

The déjà vu hit her like a sudden, cold chill, moving up her neck and making her hair stand on end. She was on autopilot, doing what her brain remembered from that day; when she heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching her, she turned around, just like she had. When she saw the faint outline of a shadow coming up the stairs, she wasn't scared, just like she hadn't been that day. It was probably one of the many people who had recently been assigned to help her with the slightest things, and, though unspoken, clearly to keep an eye on her behaviors. One of the positives to that was when a close friend and, coincidentally, servant of hers was left alone with her for hours on end, no one questioned it. Even when the two of them disappeared into the nearby fields for hours on end, ("I just need some fresh air.") her guardians didn't bat an eye. Her name had been Nikki, and she was stunningly beautiful.

Her family had immigrated to the country from one of the coastal areas, somewhere they used to plan about returning to one day, escaping under the cover of the night. She had skin nearly as dark as Reesa's from all the time she had spent in the sun as a child, but it was light enough to maintain exotic looking freckles scattered across her arms and face. Her eyes were a caramel colored hazel, flecks of yellow touching the dark rims. She would laugh freely with Reesa, and when she held her hand, she didn't flinch at the scars on the highly born girl's forearm. Her long dark hair was always smooth, and she smelled of the flowers that grew on the grounds' edges. They had… known each other, as they would say, before the past six months, and Nikki had played a big part in getting Reesa through the aftermath of her actions.

So, back on that cool evening, she may have been hoping for Nikki, with her swishing skirts and high necked collars, to turn the corner. She wasn't exactly expecting a boy, not more than two years younger than her, to be trying to sneak his way into the hallway in which she stood. A flash of recognition passed through her dark eyes, and she took a step away from the open, glassless window, closer to the younger teen. It was Nikki's younger brother, Isaiah, an errand boy who she hardly spoke to. Eyeing one of the older serving ladies who had found an excuse to linger by the end of the hall, not so secretively eyeing Theresa's actions, Reesa carefully stepped forward to the younger person, slightly raising an eyebrow.

Worry was scrawled on his face, but so was determination. That didn't stop his voice from shaking when he spoke.

"Reesa…" he murmured, hesitantly meeting his eyes. Hardly anyone called her Reesa; only her closest friends, and Nikki; maybe that's where he'd learned the nickname from.

She smiled, and, though she was slightly questioning the boy's appearance here, she didn't show it; she might've just been overreacting. Her actions in her current reliving of the event were matching the original day down to a tee.

"Isaiah," she faintly smiled, nodding her head a fraction, and spoke smoothly, "How are you doing? I haven't seen your sister lately; tell her hello for me, would you?"

The boy flinched at her words, and only then did she notice, in the dim lighting, the tears gathering in his eyes.

"Do… do we need to talk in private, Isaiah?" she asked carefully in a low voice, words steady.

He only nodded shakily, not meeting her eyes. This was out of character from what she knew of the boy; when she had seen him, in front of 'better people' he was quiet and respectful, but usually around people he knew he was always making jokes and poking fun at his only slightly older sister.

She nodded back at him, and led the way, walking calmly down the hallway, away from the maid who was dutifully watching her movement. As the maid moved, ready to follow her, Theresa spoke up, loud enough for her to hear down the hall. "I'm heading back to my room, Myriana," she spoke, addressing the older woman. Her room branched off of the next hall, and had been noticeably modified months ago, with windows having grates put in place and all potentially hazardous objects moved to a public room, leaving it quite barren. "I plan on writing a letter, and need it delivered." She spoke the lie easily at this point, and the woman bought it, not wanting to raise suspicion by insisting she follow the girl; everyone somehow believed Theresa was nearly oblivious to her shadows.

As the door shut behind the two, the younger boy couldn't help the tears in his eyes, and his voice ached of betrayal and heartache. "Reesa…" his voice cracked, "They know about you and Nikki." He took a shuddering breath, locking his jaw and grinding his teeth, but Reesa froze, ice gripping her heart, unspeaking.

The younger brother continued, fists balled at his sides. "They're charging her with… treason…" he got out, but the tears were running down his face now. Reesa couldn't speak, but, robotically, her hands covered her mouth; shawl forgotten, it draped further off her arms. She started hiccupping with sobs soon after, lowering herself to the floor and hugging her knees. She held no power in court, even as the daughter of the two most influential people there; she was unmarried as of now. She couldn't sway the heavy sentence that came with treason… Execution…

"M-Maybe… I-I c…can… P-Parents…" she stuttered, mind falling blank. It couldn't be happening… How had they known… T-They couldn't have… Treason… No… How… Had she let… That… Happen…They'd known the risk…. But… Never been caught…. No one… Cared…. How….

When she leaned forward and held tightly to Nikki's brother, who had dropped to his knees, too, he held back onto her, and she sobbed into his shoulder, body shaking, though muffling it as much as possible; it wouldn't do good to be caught like that. The younger boy cried silently, but it was clear he had already begun to come to terms with it. Executions on behalf of treason weren't common, but they weren't as rare as they should've been. The slightest bit of proof, also known as a whisper from a higher classed citizen, and a lower member of society could be tried and sentenced. He knew there was no hope, and Reesa was crying was remained of hers away. They sat there for who knows how long.

Eventually, they both stopped, and sat on the cold floor in numb silence, not far apart from each other from when they broke their embrace. What remained of the sun had set outside, filling the room with a cold chill, fitting the moment. She broke the silence, throat hoarse. "When," she said, blankly. "A-And… how… did you know…?"

He remained quiet for a few seconds, still on the floor, head in hands. His voice was steadier now, and the traces of anger could be heard lacing it. "Rumors spread fast in the kitchens; as long as it doesn't reach ears like yours, no one cares what news spreads," he said, voice low. "I found out earlier today, but I couldn't come tell you. I didn't have the chance. They're… They're announcing it tomorrow. She's been in custody for two days. I knew she was missing, but I never thought…"

 _Announcing it_. That was such a mediocre term. The trial took place as soon as it became known that the accused was to be put on the trial stand. Proceeding the trial was the execution. The trials hardly ever ended in favor of the accused; the few times it had happened were due to faulty evidence. When it had been the person versus the word of a superior, though… There was no such hope.

"Who?" she asked, voice raw with emotion. She was barely able to stop herself from shaking again.

"…I don't know…" he whispered.

She took in a deep breath, moving her feet beneath her and pushing herself unsteadily to her feet. "You need to leave." Her voice wavered slightly, but it held finality to it. This sentence raised the teen to his feet, and his face was unreadable, clear of emotion. She hated that look on young people's faces; she saw it on her own face too often, when she let the smile fall, not around people she loved.

"I can't. I n…need to see her… This is everything we'd always worked towards. Please, I need to stay."

Reesa slowly shook her head. She had seen how often families carried their loved ones' sentences in some way. "Isaiah… Even if I can… c-change what will happen… And… I-I'm going to try… with _all of my heart_ , I swear… You can't be here."

"I need to stay," he said, but the tone was weak.

She shook her head once more. "You've seen w-what… _happens_ to family members. I can't let that happen. Nikki doesn't want that to happen. It's only a matter of time, if someone doesn't want her here…" Her voice nearly cracked as she said the other girl's name. "Leave. Say you're carrying a letter to the town over. Don't come back."

"Let me leave after tomorrow… please…" he said, voice hushed.

She flinched, knowing what he meant. "Isaiah. She wouldn't w… want you to see that. You know that. I'll find a way to get to you, if I get her out…" What was unsaid spoke louder than her actual words. _If I get her out, we'd both have to leave. We'd both be officially traitors if I tried._

His head hung. He was so young, but here he was, delivering the news that his sister would be executed, and knowing he couldn't do anything to stop it; yet, he was composed better than some forty year olds she had met. It shouldn't have to be that way. The worst part was, she knew it would always be that way in this world. The young carried burdens too heavy, ones they shouldn't have even known existed. And there wasn't anything she could do to make a difference. Not here, not now, not ever.

"I… I'm so sorry, Isaiah. T-There's no room for debate…" she whispered, shakily trying to pull herself together. "It was only you two, wasn't it…? Leave. I… I'll get her out, Isaiah, I promise. Or I'll die trying."

The teen had dried his tears, and slowly nodded after a moment of pause. She rose first, taking a deep breath before plastering a smile on her face. She held the door open with grace, gesturing for the boy to exit. He stepped closer to the doorframe, and as he stepped through it, a brief expression came over her face, and she darted back into the room, retrieving an empty envelope from her desk and stuffing it into the boy's hand.

"Go, Isaiah," she murmured to him, eyes darting down the hallway. "I'll do something. Anything. Just stay safe. For her."

He nodded, swallowing his comments, and turned down the hallway, footsteps swift and sure. His silhouette was faintly lit as he disappeared around the corner, and Reesa frowned, ignoring the burning in her throat and her eyes. She couldn't cry. Nikki wasn't gone yet. There was hope. If only she had remembered it was only a memory, or remembered that the walls have eyes, and ears, and gaping holes that lead to thirty foot falls.

 **Next chapter: Should the dream continue, or is it time for Reesa to wake up?**


End file.
